2002 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament

2002 (2002) NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	USAO (1st title)
Runner-up	Oklahoma Baptist (6th title game)
Semifinalists	Azusa Pacific (3rd Final Four) Barat (1st Final Four)
Coach of the year	Harry Statham (McKendree)
Player of the year	DuJuan Brown and Robert Joseph (Oklahoma Baptist and Union (TN))
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Troy Farrow, (Barat)
Chuck Taylor MVP	Michael Williamson (USAO)
Attendance	21,456
Top scorer	DuJuan Brown (Oklahoma Baptist) (136 points)
NAIA Division I men's tournaments «2001 2003»

The 2002 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the first NAIA tournament back in Kansas City since 1993. The NAIA headquarters also relocated to Olathe, Kansas this year. The 65th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2002 champion was 2001's runner-up, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The Drovers faced Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma Baptist University in the championship game. It was the first time two teams from the Sooner Athletic Conference ever met in the national championship game. And the first SAC team to win the tournament since Oklahoma City University won in 1996. The Drovers rolled over the Bison 96–79. Finishing out the NAIA Semifinals were Azusa Pacific University and Barat College.

2002 was also the first year Buffalo Funds, a Kansas City-based investment management firm, was the title corporate sponsor. In 2008 Buffalo Funds extended its contract with the NAIA tournament until the 2010 tournament; in 2013, it would be extended to 2017.

Awards and honors

• Leading scorer: DuJuan Brown, Oklahoma Baptist (2001 winner) in 5 games DuJuan scored 51FG 21FT totaling 136pts (avg 27.2/game)
• Leading rebounder: Sidney Holmes, Barat in 4 games 49 rebounds (avg. 12.3)
• Most Three-Point Field Goals Made (All Tournament): 55, USAO (120 attempts)
• Most consecutive tournament appearances: 11th, Georgetown (KY)
• Most tournament appearances: Georgetown (KY), 21st of 28, appearances to the NAIA Tournament

2002 NAIA bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					NAIA national semifinals					NAIA national championship
	1	Georgetown (KY)	88
	-	Rocky Mountain	65
						1	Georgetown (KY)	59
						16	Oklahoma City	74
	-	Houston Baptist	82
	16	Oklahoma City	88
											16	Oklahoma City	72
	TOP TIER
											9	Azusa Pacific	80
	9	Azusa Pacific	78
	-	Spalding	44
						9	Azusa Pacific	97
						-	Auburn Montgomery	50
	-	Auburn Montgomery	56
	8	Southern–New Orleans	55
																9	Azusa Pacific	81
																5	Oklahoma Baptist	93
	-	Lewis–Clark State	78
	5	Oklahoma Baptist	89
						5	Oklahoma Baptist	90
						-	Martin Methodist	79
	-	Martin Methodist	53
	12	Spring Hill	47
											5	Oklahoma Baptist	89
	TOP TIER
											-	Olivet Nazarene	69
	13	Edward Waters	64
	-	Olivet Nazarene	80
						-	Olivet Nazarene	85
						4	McKendree	78
	-	Georgia Southwestern State	71
	4	McKendree	87
																					5	Oklahoma Baptist	79
																					-	USAO	96
	3	Biola	75
	-	Barber–Scotia	46
						3	Biola	79
						-	USAO	92
	-	USAO	68
	14	Carroll (MT)	61
											-	USAO	92
	BOTTOM TIER
											-	Huston–Tillotson	77
	11	Cumberlands	69
	-	Dillard	55
						11	Cumberlands	73
						-	Huston–Tillotson	78
	-	Huston–Tillotson	83
	6	Faulkner	68
																-	USAO	111
																15	Barat	106*
	7	Mountain State	85
	-	Wayland Baptist	71
						7	Mountain State	47
						-	Westmont	75
	-	Westmont	88
	10	Southern Tech	77
											-	Westmont	79
	BOTTOM TIER
											15	Barat	91
	15	Barat	93
	-	Columbia (MO)	86
						15	Barat	96
						2	Union (TN)	87*
	-	Westminster (UT)	52
	2	Union (TN)	62

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 2002 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament